I tested the Eight Sleep Pod 4 vs Chilipad — here's the winner for hot sleepers

After months of sleeping on the Eight Sleep Pod 4, I rate it as the best smart bed of the year, but I've recently switched to the Chilipad Dock Pro Cooling Bed System by Sleepme.

Despite costing $1,150 less than the Eight Sleep Pod, the Chilipad is almost as functional and comes in more size options including half-sizes. With this in mind as a solo sleeper, it's the one I'd be shopping in the Black Friday mattress sales.

Temperature plays a key role in sleep. Your core body temperature naturally drops by about one to two degrees Fahrenheit around bedtime. When the body cannot cool down due to a warm bedroom, stuffy bedding or physiological factors like menopause or illness, it becomes harder to fall and stay asleep. This is why climate control mattress pads like the Eight Sleep and Chilipad are real sleep-savers.

If you're looking for sleep tech to help you put a stop to nighttime hot flashes, Eight Sleep and Chilipad should be on your radar. Ahead, we'll dig in to how they compare in terms of price and functionality to help you decide which one to shop this sale season...

Chilipad Dock Pro vs Eight Sleep Pod 4: Price

First things first, loaded with world-first sleep technology that even the best mattresses we've tested this year can't compete with, neither the Eight Sleep Pod or Chilipad are particularly cheap. They are an investment in your sleep health.

The good news is we're amid the best time of year to buy a mattress with Black Friday sales knocking big money off our favorite beds, sleep accessories and gadgets. And this includes the Chilipad Dock Pro which is now down to $2,124.15 from $2,499 in a queen size. Or you can get a half-queen for $1,104.15 (was $1,299).

Unfortunately, the Eight Sleep Pod 4 is excluded from current Eight Sleep mattress sales with a queen going for $2,649 at MSRP. That said, you can save $400 on the upgraded Pod 5 Ultra which comes with an additional adjustable bed base (just expect to pay upwards of $4,640 for this advanced sleep system, even in the sale).

If we're comparing queen sizes that cover both sides of the bed, the Chilipad is $525 cheaper than the Eight Sleep Pod.

There's also a catch with both these smart mattress pads. You have to pay a subscription fee starting at $17/month at Eight Sleep to access automatic temperature adjustments, sleep reports and a vibration and thermal alarm (basically, you have to pay it to make the pod purchase worth it).

Meanwhile, you'll need to purchase the Sleepme sleep tracking mat (now $249 at Sleepme) separately to add sleep tracking and automatic temperature adjustments to the Chilipad Dock Pro. But if I had to pick which offers better value, I'd say the Chilipad since you can get the permanent Sleepme sleep tracker for the price of subscribing to Eight Sleep for 14 months.

Chilipad Dock Pro Bed Cooling System: was from $1,299 now from $1,104.15 at Sleepme
The Chilipad Dock Pro system comes in two different models — the 'me' model covers half the bed, the 'we' model covers both sides direct from Sleepme. With 15% off now, prices start from $1,104.15 for a 'me' half queen and rise to $2,294.15 for a 'we' Cal king. This isn't quite as low as we've seen it previously (a half-queen went for $1,019.15 in June) but it's still a great deal and we wouldn't be surprised if this is the new lowest price amid rising mattress costs. You'll also get a 30-day sleep trial, free shipping and a 1-year warranty.

View Deal

Eight Sleep Pod 4: from $2,449 at Eight Sleep
With dual temperature control, smart sleep tracking and a vibration and thermal alarm, the Eight Sleep Pod 4 is a high tech addition to your sleep routine starting at $2,449 for a full size at MSRP. A queen is $2,649 and the pod goes up to a Cal King at $2,849. There are single-sleeper options and you will need to budget for a monthly subscription fee too.

View Deal

Chilipad Dock Pro vs Eight Sleep Pod 4: Quick comparison

• The Eight Sleep is more premium, while the Chilipad is more affordable
• The Chilipad by Sleepme comes in half sizes and is subscription-free
• The Eight Sleep is quieter than the Chilipad
• Both require connection to a compatible app

Backed by elite athletes like Charles Leclerc and top-performing scientists like Andrew Huberman, the Eight Sleep Pod system is geared towards improving your rest to boost physical and mental performance.

From my own experience on the pod, I can vouch that it achieves that aim. While sleeping on the Eight Sleep Pod 4 I bagged sleep scores of 100 and it helped me recover through a marathon training block.

How exactly does it help you achieve such great sleep? The Eight Sleep Pod 4 offers three main smart features: active temperature regulation, in-bed sleep tracking and a vibration and thermal alarm.

The pod is lined with water tubes and connected to a bedside control hub. You pre-set your bedtime and the mattress cover providing a cool sleep surface to facilitate the temperature drop your body needs to release sleepy-inducing hormones like melatonin.

AI-powered sensors throughout the pod then track your room and body temperature through the night and make adjustments accordingly to keep you at an optimal sleeping temperature. This means you can sail peacefully through restorative sleep cycles without hot flashes disturbing your slumber.

Meanwhile, the sensors and AI algorithms also keep tabs on your sleep data and overnight health metrics. This means you can record your sleep stages, sleep timings, quality and efficiency, along with your heart and respiration rates, without having to take any wearables to bed.

Come morning, your pod will heat up and vibrate to gently stir you from sleep rather than jolting you awake with a blaring alarm sound. This is better for your nervous system, helping you wake up without grogginess.

On the other hand, as standard the Chilipad Dock Pro is a more basic temperature regulating smart mattress cover than the Eight Sleep Pod. You have to manually adjust the temperature and schedule adjustments through the night via the compatible app (that is if you leave out the optional sleep tracker to reduce overall cost).

Sleepme recommends a cooler temperature for the first half of your slumber, helping you reach and maintain deep sleep stages and a warmer temperature for the second half of the night to optimize REM sleep.

With physical buttons, an app, and schedules, the Chilipad does a grand job of heating and cooling your sleep surface without any AI working behind the scenes. That said, if you add on the Sleepme sleep tracker, the system will take the guesswork out of scheduling temperature changes, and automatically heat or cool based on your sleep stages.

Admittedly, I haven't tested the Sleepme Sleep Tracker, so can't comment on its accuracy compared to Eight Sleep. But one thing I have noticed is that the Chilipad is slightly louder when operating than the Pod 4.

While the Eight Sleep Pod was practically silent, I have found you can hear water running through the Chilipad and a hum from the control unit. It's only a gentle hum but could be disturbing if you aren't used to sleeping with noise. Meanwhile some sleepers, particularly those who like static sounds white noise, may find this helps them drift off.

Note both systems require regular maintenance where you have to clean out the water tank and they need Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. There are buttons on the Chilipad allowing you to manually adjust the temperature but you must use the app to schedule temperature changes through the night. Whereas the Eight Sleep is fully operated through the mobile app.

Chilipad Dock Pro vs Eight Sleep Pod 4: Which should you buy this Black Friday?

Both offering smart climate control, allowing you to fine tune your side of the bed to suit your temperature preferences, the Eight Sleep Pod and Chilipad are great investments for anyone struggling to sleep due to overheating.

The key deciders between which smart mattress cover you buy will be budget and whether you sleep alone or with a partner. With the queen Chilipad 'Me' option plus the sleep tracker add-on, solo sleepers can get the complete smart bed system for $1,353.15 in current Black Friday sales.

By comparison, you would have to spend $2,649 on an Eight Sleep queen size — that equals a saving of around $1,300 before even factoring in a subscription fee.

Similarly, if it's only you struggling with nighttime thermoregulation issues while your partner sleeps soundly on a standard mattress, the 'Me' Chilipad is the financially wise pick.

You should also consider how seriously you're looking to level up your sleep. Are you simply looking to tackle night sweats and hot flashes, or are you looking to gather sleep data to optimize your performance? If it's the former, the standard Dock Pro System (minus the sleep tracker) should suit you fine. If it's the latter, the Eight Sleep Pod 4 is worth the splurge.